We do seem to have a lot of people interested in keeping nostalgic buildings and such in OKC. Unfortunately it seems to be us broke folks.

that's only because we've already lost so much else already. What little we have left is disappearing before our eyes. And yes, we are broke, and even if we weren't, we would have probably been outbid by the tire store.

Hopefully they don't do something dippy like integrate the sign into the new tire shop building.

We do seem to have a lot of people interested in keeping nostalgic buildings and such in OKC. Unfortunately it seems to be us broke folks.

True that.

Well this one is a loss, but i can't gripe too much since i never went to the grill. In the past, it seemed silly to want to spend $8 on a burger that wasn't something fancy. ANyway, i'm still sad and hope the sign can be saved in some way at least. It's depressing it's for a cookie cutter Discount Tire....bleh. But it's sort of like the peeps that go to Barnes and Noble and read, but dont buy. Can't really complain if you aren't contributing to the finances of the place :)

Was talking about this last night with a friend and we both agreed it would have been so cool for one of our local restaurant groups to have bought this property and turned into a new restaurant and bar while preserving much of the character and even the sign.

Then I realized that sort of thing seems to completely stop at 23rd Street, apart from maybe including a bit of what is happening along Western.

Although it was for sale for a while, it seemed to be completely off the radar for our usual band of creative redevelopers.

Would have loved to have seen the drive through concept preserved and maybe repurposed the great front lawn as a small dog park etc. Bring yourself and your pooch for some burgers and play time. Make it more family friendly friendly and less - simply drive through and pay too much for a burger.

Was talking about this last night with a friend and we both agreed it would have been so cool for one of our local restaurant groups to have bought this property and turned into a new restaurant and bar while preserving much of the character and even the sign.

Then I realized that sort of thing seems to completely stop at 23rd Street, apart from maybe including a bit of what is happening along Western.

Although it was for sale for a while, it seemed to be completely off the radar for our usual band of creative redevelopers.

3 years ago or 3 years from now maybe that idea would have had a chance...but I get the sense that 2016 is exactly the wrong time in this 5-10 year window to be selling.

3 years ago or 3 years from now maybe that idea would have had a chance...but I get the sense that 2016 is exactly the wrong time in this 5-10 year window to be selling.

Exactly right.

But in fairness, they hung in there for a long time and there was lots of opportunity for someone to step up.

How long was it for sale?

58 years technically

It was a lot like Coits... First trying to sell the business (which is almost impossible) then just listing the property outright.

I think it was on the market for a year or so.

BUT... Anyone who has been by there knew it was failing and would not last. This is why I started tracking it closely even before it went up for sale. You just knew it could not hang on much longer, so there was plenty of opportunity for someone to step and try and do something cool with it.

As I said, that trend seems to stop dead at 23rd Street.

Uhg. This was the last place me and my dad went out alone to eat together, after going to a car show at the fair. TBH, I haven't spend enough money there to be considered a supporter, but still sad to see it go.

Someone local SHOULD buy the sign though, to use elsewhere somehow someday.

It would be nice is someone saved the sign and I'm sure someone will but I have to say in such case they get put out in someone's barn or similar and since I'll never see it again I don't get too worked up about this issue.

Same with the old bowling alley on 39th. Someone saved it but I'm sure I'll never see it again.

Same with the old bowling alley on 39th. Someone saved it but I'm sure I'll never see it again.
Are you talking about 66 Bowl?

This may be on another thread,,,but Bonaparte's Drive In on NW 39th between Meridian and MacArthur had the same concept as Charcoal Oven....same drive around area to order--stalls to park and eat and a big grassy area in the middle. Not sure exactly when it closed. There was also a sit-down version in Shepherd Mall.
Don't remember the sign at Bonaparte's being as cool as the Charcoal Oven one though.

Are you talking about 66 Bowl?

Yes.

Someone local SHOULD buy the sign though, to use elsewhere somehow someday.


It would be nice is someone saved the sign and I'm sure someone will but I have to say in such case they get put out in someone's barn or similar and since I'll never see it again I don't get too worked up about this issue.

Same with the old bowling alley on 39th. Someone saved it but I'm sure I'll never see it again.

I reached out to Curtis Hart at the Muscle Car Ranch about it,, but haven't received a response.

It would be nice is someone saved the sign and I'm sure someone will but I have to say in such case they get put out in someone's barn or similar and since I'll never see it again I don't get too worked up about this issue.

Same with the old bowling alley on 39th. Someone saved it but I'm sure I'll never see it again.

I believe it's up and running in Chandler. On rt 66 of course.

I believe it's up and running in Chandler. On rt 66 of course.

My memory isn't totally gone... I thought I had seen something about this...

http://www.route66news.com/2016/04/13/66-bowl-sign-resurrected-chandler/

^

That's very cool.

Thanks for sharing.

Yes.

I just drove by it last week. It seems Jerry beat me to the punch of telling you where it is, though.

My memory isn't totally gone... I thought I had seen something about this...

http://www.route66news.com/2016/04/13/66-bowl-sign-resurrected-chandler/

That's fantastic.

I suppose it's hypocritical of me to care about these old businesses sticking around when I myself have never been a patron to them, but I see the value of some classic things remaining for as long as they can. Never bothered going to 66 Bowl before they closed, but shutting down was a bummer, and I thought Spices of India worked well in its previous location across the street. Same with Charcoal Oven: never ate there, not even once, but when I look at my mid-1960s Oklahoma City Blazers team program and see an advert for Charcoal Oven, it was comforting knowing that the same business still existed, essentially unchanged. Seeing that classic sign standing the same for half a century while all this modern progress is erected on all sides is nice.

OKC has had several waves of destroying beautiful, classic architecture in order to install glass monstrosities, so the little bits likes 66 Bowl and Charcoal Oven were nice to have around.

That's fantastic.

I suppose it's hypocritical of me to care about these old businesses sticking around when I myself have never been a patron to them, but I see the value of some classic things remaining for as long as they can. Never bothered going to 66 Bowl before they closed, but shutting down was a bummer, and I thought Spices of India worked well in its previous location across the street. Same with Charcoal Oven: never ate there, not even once, but when I look at my mid-1960s Oklahoma City Blazers team program and see an advert for Charcoal Oven, it was comforting knowing that the same business still existed, essentially unchanged. Seeing that classic sign standing the same for half a century while all this modern progress is erected on all sides is nice.

OKC has had several waves of destroying beautiful, classic architecture in order to install glass monstrosities, so the little bits likes 66 Bowl and Charcoal Oven were nice to have around.

It's just sad that we're losing classics for a f**king Hibdons. Jesus, there's land everywhere. Could Hibdons really not have built elsewhere?

It's just sad that we're losing classics for a f**king Hibdons. Jesus, there's land everywhere. Could Hibdons really not have built elsewhere?

It's actually Discount Tire, but I agree with your sentiment.

I'm surprised that no local restaurant group picked this up. I know most of them usually aren't focused on this area but you would think someone (good egg, big truck, deep fork, hal smith, etc) would've been able to make this work. I think Charcoal Oven kind of faded away because everyone forgot about it. With some promotion, I feel like someone could've gotten more out of this place. Just sucks that it's being replaced with a nondescript tire shop.

It's a lot of money especially when you consider there are really no buildings of any value.

^^^^^^
I've given this a lot of thought; more energy spent than I should on a lost cause, in fact. I think a solution would have had to involve making better use of all of that land AND updating the menu while keeping it rooted in the original. For instance offer a Garage or S&B type menu but based on char-grilled burgers. Keep things like the curly fries and chick-a-doodle-doo. And of course continue to offer the burgers currently on the menu, but perhaps with beef improvements, seasonings, etc.

And as for land use reconfigure in such a way as to have an indoor dining room and - perhaps more importantly - great patio/outdoor space. The drive-thru window has really replaced drive-in stalls from a practical standpoint. Acknowledge that and repurpose he space they took up.

Anyway, it's water under the bridge now. Unfortunate that they couldn't hang on for another 5-10 years, because I think eventually someone might have done what I described.

I did ask some local restaurateurs and none had been aware the place was for sale.

In that respect, I do now put some of the blame on the owners. It would have been easy to hire a broker with the instructions to contact every prominent restaurant operator and see if they could work a deal for the business or to utilize much of what is there and at least preserve the best parts.

Could have also reached out through the press and local media to try and find a buyer.

That clearly wasn't done; it was just put on the market and sold to the highest bidder.

I did ask some local restaurateurs and none had been aware the place was for sale.

In that respect, I do now put some of the blame on the owners. It would have been easy to hire a broker with the instructions to contact every prominent restaurant operator and see if they could work a deal for the business or to utilize much of what is there and at least preserve the best parts.

Could have also reached out through the press and local media to try and find a buyer.

That clearly wasn't done; it was just put on the market and sold to the highest bidder.

Well that's really annoying. Can't blame them for wanting to make money but who's to say a local group wouldn't have paid the same price for it?

Well that's really annoying. Can't blame them for wanting to make money but who's to say a local group wouldn't have paid the same price for it?

Or even worked out a deal that could have been better for the Charcoal Oven owners overall. Perhaps less money up front to have an x% claim in the business or something.

Well, maybe someone can step in and make a deal with Discount Tire to save the place and allow them to find another location.

It's just sad that we're losing classics for a f**king Hibdons. Jesus, there's land everywhere. Could Hibdons really not have built elsewhere?I know. I'm going to be the crazy guy and blame some conspiracy that there is a group of people in OKC who don't want their to be any uniqueness and diversity and will stop at nothing to tear these historic buildings down. I'm obviously being facetious, but damn man. Quick view on Google maps shows a few lots though they aren't directly on NW Expressway and countless surface parking lots this could be built on.

Not wasting any time...

Closed for good last night, sign coming down this morning.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/charcoal091316.jpg

Is there any confirmation as to whether or not the sign will be preserved somewhere?

Is there any confirmation as to whether or not the sign will be preserved somewhere?

I saw yesterday that it will be stored safely until there's another use for it. I can't remember where I saw that from though.

It's going to the Billboard Museum warehouse in Bethany until the owner finds a better place for it.

http://billboardmuseum.org/

Not the end of the road... Maybe?

http://newsok.com/article/5517786%3Futm_source=NewsOK.com%26utm_medium=Socia l%26utm_campaign=ShareBar-Facebook

I don't think the food is anything special...

It's the place that made the food taste good. Move the concept somewhere else and I don't think that many people would be interested.

I don't think the food is anything special...

It's the place that made the food taste good. Move the concept somewhere else and I don't think that many people would be interested.

Agree

It was high priced and the food was good but not great. You can get something similar at Johnnie's, which isn't that inexpensive either. If it were being replaced with a really cool concept, I think people would miss CO but be okay with it. The fact that it's being replaced with yet another tire shop is what seems to bother a lot of people.

It also bothers me somewhat that now they want to continue the concept but just sell the property and cash out?

I thought the narrative was that the family was tired of running the restaurant?

I was so under the impression that their last day of business would be this Friday, which was gonna make me happy cause I was gonna eat there then :-(

Just my opinion, but you remove the historical significance (location) and simply re-open shop selling your overpriced mediocre burgers somewhere else and you are destined for failure.

They have almost completely demolished everything on site:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/charcoaloven011016.jpg

I saw in one of Dave Cathey's recent articles that they are looking at reopening in a different location.

I think i saw activity on this site driving by in the dark... but it was... well, dark...

Discount Tire now open.

Discount Tire now open.

Yea?

Discount Tire now open.

How are their burgers? Tough and chewy?

You just gotta watch out for the hole in the middle, condiments keep dropping out of it...

Man, that Discount Tire has so much unique character. It really is a great, signature place that just screams “Oklahoma City.”

Unfortunately, I was not able to score an invite to their soft opening but I heard it was killer.

Glad we finally have a tire place on the NW side.

Hahahaha

So I should assume that the Charcoal Oven is dead? I remember there was some talk of a food truck as well as putting the sauce in stores. Still miss those onion rings.

How are their burgers? Tough and chewy?

Like rubber.

I told some manager at Sussy's a couple weeks ago that since they have Nomad pizza, chili from Crescent Market I believe they should go ahead and buy the recipe for a Chick - a - doodle- doo. He wasn't familiar with one of the best sandwiches I ate hundreds of over the years.

I heard it was a great place to retire.